A press brake punch, when in use, is typically mounted within a press brake machine's upper shoe. Press brake punches commonly have a longitudinally elongated and upwardly extending ridge or tang which is fitted for nesting upward extension into a downwardly opening longitudinally elongated channel within the press brake machine's upper shoe. Such tang is typically fixedly clamped within such channel. Such mounting of a press brake punch upon a press brake machine extends the press brake punch downwardly and downwardly orients the generally convex metal working face of the punch.
Press brake punches are commonly heavy and cumbersome, and are advantageously conveyed to and from press brake machines, and to and from storage racks by means of specially adapted carriages. Since press brake punches are typically installed within press brake machines in the above described “tang up” orientation, such carriages are preferably capable of carrying a press brake punch in a similar orientation. However, the typically convex metal working face of a press brake punch gives rise to difficulties in situating such punch upon a carriage with the desired “tang up” orientation. For example, where the metal working face of a press brake punch is adapted to form a “V”, and where the carriage includes a generally horizontal punch carrying bed, the press brake punch is difficultly or impossibly balanced in an upright position upon such bed. The point of the “V” shaped working face of such punch results in an unstable equilibrium, resulting in lateral toppling of the press brake punch. As another example, a press brake punch having a “U” shaped metal working face will similarly topple.
Another characteristic of common press brake punches which creates difficulties in achieving the desired “tang up” orientation upon a carriage is the lateral width of the punch. Press brake punches have widely varying lateral widths. Where the carriage's press brake punch carrying bed is laterally bounded by longitudinally extending stops or walls for prevention of toppling of a press brake punch, the varying widths of press brake punches complicates the lateral positioning of such walls or stops. Fixed placement of such walls or stops undesirably prevents some thick press brake punches from being carried, and undesirably allows lateral angular leaning of some thin press brake punches.
In order to ameliorate or compensate for press brake punch carrying problems arising from varying punch thicknesses, press brake punch carriages are known to incorporate multiple load beds, each being bounded by laterally paired and longitudinally extending walls which define multiple punch supporting channels. Yet, adaptation of a press brake punch carriage to include multiple varying width channels gives rise to other functional deficits, including cumbersomeness, excessive bulk, and lack of space economy of the carriage, misfitting and angular tilting of punches carried, and difficulty in manually reaching and accessing press brake punches carried by such carriage.
The instant invention overcomes or ameliorates the problems and deficiencies discussed and described above by providing a press brake punch transfer carriage having a single easily accessible press brake punch load bed, such load bed being bounded by laterally paired and longitudinally extending stops or walls for prevention of press brake punch toppling, the carriage incorporating mechanical means for adjusting the lateral displacement of such stops or walls for accommodation of press brake punches having varying widths.